Turbulence

I've had some hairy flights in small planes. Some shaky ones in jet airliners as well. I've even survived a crash. But today, I got nervous for the first time in a loooonnng time.

After the plane picked me up, we stopped in Nondalton for 5 passengers, then in Iliamna for 3 more.

After taking off, the pilot started climbing for a higher altitude, hoping to get above the low clouds and gusty winds. Well, we did...eventually. At around 6000 feet we hit some of the most violent turbulence I've ever had the misfortune to experience. There was a lot of sudden updrafts, followed by massive downdrafts. My cranium had many intimate encounters with the roof of the cabin, none of which were enjoyable. We were all being thrown around the cabin like rag dolls for only 20 seconds, but it felt like 20 minutes. One second the nose is pointed at the sky and the plane is climbing like a lovesick angel, the next moment it's plunging to earth in a 75 degree angle. There was one lady who really thought we were goners, and the noises she was making are probably going to give me nightmares tonight!

However, we made it, and the remainder of the flight was relatively smooth and uneventful. Life is nothing without adventure, but I think that there's a lot to be said for the staid and predictable!

By the way, the picture above is my Mom (on the left) and Roz Goodman at our annual Thankgiving potluck. Even though most of the residents were out of town, we still had a great turn-out!

Q'uo

Departures

We're nearing the end of the "traveling period", that block of time from September to December when BIA conferences, trainings, and other related "out of town" events are occurring. There is still an exodus of people today and this weekend heading out for the BIA Service Providers Conference in Anchorage. The only thing I dread about these trips is the increased number of people in Anchorage during this time.

These folks are there for the conferences and holiday shopping. That means bigger crowds in the stores (and you all know how much I love the carnage that is holiday shopping) and on the roads. The stores are one thing, but having more people on the road makes me cranky. There's always some bozo thinking he (or she) is the protege of Mario Andretti, and that gaining the extra five seconds of time weaving through traffic to make it to the head of the lane for the stoplight is going to have a profound effect on the rest of their day. The near misses and lane cutoffs are usually punctuated by my horn, which unfortunately sounds like a muffled sneeze and usually has no effect on the transgressor. I have considered changing my horn, but the idea of mounting a 150 decibel truck horn in our PT Cruiser did not sit well with my wife so I'm left with the obligatory (and according to her, mandatory) defensive driving that I'm so fond of. (NOT)

*Sigh*

Guess I better go pack.

Q'uo

Thankful

When I'm standing outside on an evening like this, looking at that sunset, breathing in the cold air, hearing only the occasional ATV or voice break the silence, I'm truly thankful. I'm thankful for my salvation, the wonderful gift of life He gave me.

I'm thankful for the wonderful wife He blessed me with and the beautiful son she gave me.

I'm thankful for my parents and the way they raised me. I'm thankful for the village in which I live, and the people who live here. My life ain't bad. It's not what you have that counts.

There are times when I feel overworked, or when I feel stressed out, and it isthose times that I tend to forget just how good I have it. It doesn't matter that the weather is completely unpredictable. It doesn't matter that I won't be able to go on vacation when I want to, or travel to Anchorage as much as I'd like. What matters most, are the two precious souls waiting for me at home. If it was just my faith, and those two, life would still be good. It's not what we have, but then again, maybe it is.

Q'uo

Auuuuuuugggggghhhhhhhh! (snow)

I cannot believe it's white outside! I think it's time to move!

Got a brand new laptop for work. Dell XPS M1710 with the following goodies:

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7600 (2.33GHz/667MHz/4MB) - 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 6 - 512MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX - 100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive - Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card - Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module (2.0 + EDR)

This is one bad mamma jamma! Pictures upon request! ;-)

Things have been really jumping at work. Our new administrator has really been immersing himself in all aspects of the job, including spending time with those of us who have been here a while, learning about our jobs, and what he can do to help us. It's feeling pretty good, but there's also sadness in the departure of John Baalke, who has been more then a supervisor and manager, he's been a confidant and trusted friend. He will be truly missed by all. I wish him all the best in whatever adventures he undertakes. He rocked the Council righteously for 10 years. Go with God my friend.

Q'uo

Chatty

Well, we had a good chat session night before last! Although Shawnmarie and Ingrid were the only ones who could make it, we had a great time. Hopefully, more will be able to join next time.







<------Guess who?






I'm kinda diggin' the cold weather, of course, this is my favorite season of the year, has been since I was a kid, so the clear, cold nights and nippy mornings are seeming more like a comfort zone now.....how weird is that?




I'm actually enjoying a fairly good speed tonight (I'm starting this the night before) so I'll try to upload some photos while the speed is up.


Well...I did my civic duty yesterday and served as an election judge, so I wasn't able to get this posted yesterday morning when I meant to. Anyway, here 'tis!


Elijah and I had some time together while Nancy was in Albuquerque, this was our "landing observation" trip!




The village website will be back up, momentarily...I'm designing a new look.

Q'uo

Here we go again...

It never fails to amaze me how fast the seasons change. One day you're enjoying the fall colors, reveling in the bright oranges, reds and yellows, and the next day those trees are frosted over, there's ice fog on the lake, and fresh snow on the mountain. Wonder what kind of winter we're facing this year?

I know it's been a long time between entries, I just can't seem to find the time anymore. I guess that's a credit to the amount of time being spent working, but it's really putting a crimp into my online life! Oh well...if you haven't realized by now that my blog is a random affair, then I feel sorry for you!

Just kidding!

Check out this very cool clock!


Here's a couple of shots from this morning. The bundled up canine is "Spot", and he's obviously well prepared for our chilly mornings. I didn't know they made parkas for dogs! He seems to be okay with wearing it, but I'm not sure if it coordinates with his studded collar! :-)


This is the moon "setting" behind Knutsen this morning.

Q'uo